2013 SU Update: ‘Make U Real’-Volunteer Recruitment Drive passes Half-Year Mark

KAZAN – The Kazan 2013 volunteer selection campaign has reached its half-year milestone, with the number of submitted applications totaling 13,000. Every day volunteer recruiters process hundreds of application forms. Below a digest of some interesting volunteer facts.

Zufar Iskhakov from Zheleznogorsk, Kursk Region turned 78 on January 14, 2012. He’s the eldest applicant to be a Kazan 2013 volunteer. In the mid-1950s he studied at the All-Union Extramural Polytechnic Institute inMoscow, and today he dreams to meet coaches and athletes from various countries and to gain a unique volunteer experience becoming part of the global sporting event.

10,564 kilometresseparate Rocha Carlos’ home town fromKazan. 28-year-old Rocha attended the Belgrade Summer Universiade in 2009; while being a student he also assisted in organizing a national festival that brought together over 1,000 artists in 100 various projects. The young Mexican is eager to make his contribution to the 2013 Summer Universiade as a volunteer at the Games’ accreditation or main operations centre, or as a team host.

Elmira Gadbullina from Nabarezhnye Chelny is an absolute champion in the number of languages she can speak; Elmira knows seven languages, including two state languages of the Republic of Tatarstan (Tatar and Russian). In case she successfully makes it through the selection events, in a little more than a year, Elmira will be able to put into action her skills in English, French, German, Chinese, Turkish and Japanese. She has already rendered language and administration service at the 2010 Skydiving World Championships and is looking forward to being involved in the 2013 Games inKazan.

A record number of applications among federal regions ofRussia(274) has been submitted by the Orenburg Region. Last autumn young people ofOrenburgwelcomed the FISU Flag Relay in their city and became participants of the Volunteers’ Academy volunteer camp that trained them in five functional areas. Under the agreement signed between Kazan 2013 and Orenburg State University, the city is given an opportunity to recruit, select, train and retain volunteers, as well as to provide media coverage of their volunteer centre’s activities.

Natalia Lukashina, a student of Kazan State Agrarian University, became the 10,000th applicant that registered to volunteer at the 2013 Games. According to her profile, kayaking, canoeing, beach volleyball and rhythmic gymnastics are the sports Natalia gives her preferences to in the Kazan 2013 program; she is most interested in volunteer opportunities available in such categories as the 2013 Games Ceremonies, food services and media coordination.

Angela Agresta boasts one of the richest volunteer experiences among candidates to join the Kazan 2013 volunteer team. She worked as Team Russia’s assistant at the 24th Universiade and 10^th Winter Olympic Games and served an internship in media centres of FINA, FIFA and men’s world volleyball championship. Angela admitted she had fallen in love withRussia as early as in 1985, when she had decided to start learning the Russian language. The greatest happiness for Angela is an opportunity to come to visitKazan.

The youngest applicant that put his name forward as a volunteer of Kazan 2013 is 11 years old. Unfortunately, he is not eligible to volunteer at the 2013 Games, but like many other young sports enthusiasts, he would be more than welcome to visit the Universiade venues and render support to thousands of athletes from the spectator area. Non-local applicants must be of full age by March 31, 2013 to be accepted, andKazanresidents are allowed to be Games-time volunteers at 14.

For reference: 20,000 volunteers are needed to help to put on a truly spectacular Summer Universiade in Kazan. To join an army of Kazan 2013 volunteers, every applicant will be expected to complete an application form at and, if successful, attend a selection event.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)